New website!

Hello, long time no post. Just letting everyone know I got a new website. You can check it out here: http://www.adamwhitemagic.com

Best wishes,
Adam White

Nebraska Magician

What a Great Night!

So it is eight o’clock and the end of my shift. I’m pretty happy with the first time I’ve been to the restaurant and I feel I made contact with some people who are some movers and shakers. I get my money, hand them the invoice and I’m about to hang out with the friends that decided to come out and see me on my first night.

I get a tap on my shoulder and a server tells me something interesting.

“Table 16 would like you to help him propose to his girlfriend.”

She continues to tell me that she has been friends with the people since she was a little girl.

I made it clear that it needed to be the guy’s idea and not her idea to be cute.

She said, “No, he specifically told me to ask you if you could present the ring in a cool way for him to propose.”

I’m thinking, this is one of the biggest moments in both the guy’s and girlfriend’s life. I’m pretty nervous not really for me but for the guy.

So the server hands me the rock and I stick it in my pocket and walk over to the table. I introduce myself like I normally would to a table and proceed to do my Ambitious Card routine which is the equivalent to Tommy Wonder’s card in box, though I finish things off with a card in wallet.

Anyway, the girl picks the Ace of Diamonds. (Imagine that…) Both of them sign it and I go into my routine that finishes with the card in the wallet. (Sorry magic dudes, no Anniversary Waltz here because 1. I think the trick is too cheesy for my style of magic.
2. I think the guy wanted it to be a surprise and I didn’t want to ruin it with being suggestive.
3. Didn’t have the special things to do it.)

I then tell the guy to fold the card in quarters and I explain the ace of diamonds is a magical card and funny things happen when I use the card. At this point the card gets wrapped into a silk handkerchief and the girl held the bundle. I have the guy wave the magic marker over the handkerchief and have her unwrap it. Her face was priceless and I think it’s one of the greatest things when girls’ eyes get as big as saucers in surprise because in the silk was a diamond ring. (For those of you who have to know, I used the basic gypsy switch.)

I then grabbed the marker, the silk and left. I felt I no longer needed to be there and that the guy needed to have his moment.

After she said yes, I walked back to the table sometime later and gave them the ace of diamonds they signed and dated it. My friends who were their thought I should have signed it, and I disagreed, because this is their moment not mine. If they wanted my signature they would have asked for it and if they want it later, they know how to find me through the restaurant. I didn’t even give them a business card.

I didn’t think it would have been classy to give them a business card, or to sign the ace of diamonds without their permission. I just wanted them to have their moment.

I try hard and take advantage of business opportunities, but what an honor to be a part of something so special for two people, to truly give them a moment they will never forget.

Worrying about the business part is important, and I made a big enough impression to have probably sold this couple anything, at the same time, I feel like I got enough to be a part of something truly magical.

Showmanship for Magicians

Chapter 4

What makes up a successful show? There are a lot of factors, integrants, ingredients, and traits making up the popular, most watched and attended shows.

Music concerts can bring in grace, harmony, romance, sentiment, nostalgia, rhythm, and movement. A lot of times it is promoting youth and sex appeal. A lot of times they incorporate audience participation and sometimes comedy. There’s color with the lights, lasers and large screens. Not to mention, the color in the costuming.

It is no wonder the top grossing touring shows are music concerts.

Madonna broke records in 2008, grossing the most money any solo artist has with their concerts.

It was only a couple of years ago when Hanna Montana tickets were selling many times over the box office price.

Drama helps which is why day time soap operas are still airing, everyday. And why the situations of reality shows are created and how they are cast. Notice most cast members are not talented, but more likely trouble makers causing more drama or some producers would call it good TV.

The number one television show is a Karaoke contest backed up by millions of dollars. Lights, movement, music, drama of who is going to win, who is going home and most importantly, audience participation are included in this show that continues to be the top rated show season after season.

Fitzkee gives us a list of items that are incorporated in successful shows and presentations.

1. Music
2. Rhythm
3. Movement
4. Youth
5. Sex appeal
6. Personality
7. Color
8. Comedy
9. Harmony
10. Romance
11. Sentiment
12. Nostalgia
13. Pointing
14. Timing
15. Surprise
16. Situation
17. Character
18. Conflict
19. Proper costuming
20. Careful grooming
21. Physical action
22. Group coordination
23. Precise attack
24. Short scenes or turns
25. Efficient pacing
26. Punch
27. Careful routining
28. Tireless rehearsal
29. Special material and score
30. Grace
31. Effortless skill
32. Sure-fire
33. Spectacle
34. Thrill
35. Emotion
36. Common problems
37. Escape from the humdrum
38. Unity
39. Being up-to-date

I think you can see all or a majority of these being in the most popular television shows, movies, books, even video games, and sites on the internet.

Now it is not expected a single entertainer can accomplish all of these popular appeals, but a thoughtful presenter will try to get as many and varied appeals as possible into their shows. If you have as many of these traits as possible, you are only giving your audiences more reasons to enjoy your show.

One of my favorite stand-up comedians is still Steve Martin. He presented a character so unique, everyone had to stop and watch. Right now, you are probably picturing him in is white suit, with his silver hair, prancing around with an arrow through his head screaming “Well, EXCUUUUUSE ME!!!”

The costume, the look, the props, the material, music and most important the rehearsing made Steve Martin great and makes him a big name even today. From what I understand he would fill sports arenas just doing his one man act. His material was so popular, the audience would recite it with him. (Audience participation)

One man, a case with balloons, props and a banjo and the guy was a super star.

Now it’s time to roll up the sleeves and see what you can incorporate into your show. Maybe you already have a lot of these traits, but it never hurts to check again.

Keep a conscious, critical, constructive mind and your audiences will thank you for it.

Always wishing the best,
Adam

Ebook
www.adamwhitemagic.com

Charity

Some so called professionals say magic shows should only be performed if the performer is getting some kind of pay. Their explanation is it “cheapens the art form” to do magic for free.

I believe that sort of none sense comes from people who don’t understand the power of giving. These people don’t understand the idea of doing something or giving something out without expecting to get paid or have a favor done in return.

To say doing a free show for a hospital cheapens the art is like saying Toys for Tots cheapens the retail industry, volunteering at a soup line cheapens the food industry, or caroling cheapens Christmas.

Some so called professionals say that it hurts the art to do free shows for charities.

I don’t believe a great performance done for free hurts magic. In fact, I believe it hurts the art when you have a poor performer, who really doesn’t like children or people for that matter, perform for a group and gets paid to stroke their ego. A poor performance always hurts the art more than a lower price.

If the “professionals” set aside their egos and put more emphasis on their performance, rehearsed their show more, and had better customer service, then their customers and the public would see value in buying their services and the professional would never have to worry about anyone undercutting them. Why pay to have the show of no value when you can get the amateur for free?

Is it the fault of the professional magician or the consumer when the consumer doesn’t find value in the professional magician’s show?

By performing for different charity events, you can get more pleasure out of them than if you sell out a theater. You can’t tell me it cheapens the art when you can help a child get the surgery their parents can’t afford. You can’t tell me a magician is hurting the art when they donate magic kits to orphans or kids in need for Christmas. And you can’t tell me a performer who lets parents see their child smile just one more time before cancer takes them, harms magic in anyway.
There is more to the art of magic than money.

There is more to friendship then having to get something from the people you call your friends.

There is more to family then always having to get your way.

I have been a magician for a long time and it has filled my wallet quite well. But the moments when my art can help someone, even when I’m not getting a check are the times I cherish, because those are the times magic fills my heart.

Always wishing the best,
Adam

Ebook
www.adamwhitemagic.com

Rush, Rush, Rush

Have to get to the wife’s job’s Holiday party!
Have to get to the next gig!
Have to see the in-laws for dinner!
Have to get to the next gig!
Have to make it to the store for the sale!
Have to get to the next gig!
Have to get the mailer ready for January!
Have to get to the next gig!
Have to clean the house for company!
Have to get to the next gig!
Have to do dishes!
Have to get to the next gig!

There is a lot of rushing during this time of year. Sometimes tempers flare and sometimes in our rush we forget what the time is all about. Make an effort to be nice to the people around you. Friends, family or strangers. Any time you buy something, give the check out person a smile and wish them a Merry Christmas, even they took too long in your eyes.

One of my “Have to’s” this year is to keep in touch better with friends. At least contact them by email, phone or more preferably meet up with them, once a week.

Who know’s if we get to see them again, talk to them again, laugh with them again.

I can’t remember anyone saying, “I wish I spent less time with the one’s I love.”

That is my “Have to” this year.

Always wishing the best,
Adam

Ebook
www.adamwhitemagic.com

Magic and Money

After performing some amazing feats of magic, the magician says…

“Now what I’m about to do next is very special and I know you might be tempted to say something funny or witty. But I warn you, you really shouldn’t say a word or you might ruin this next trick. Without saying anything, would you please bring out a one dollar bill and hand it to me?”

The magician again gestures for everyone to be quiet, by holding a finger to his lips as he patiently waits for the one dollar bill to be handed to him. The magician holds up the borrowed single and says…

“I still need you all to be quiet and not say anything because you see the first thing most people do when I ask for a one is they want me to make it into a larger bill, like a five, ten, twenty or on and on. Now here is the thing; I can do it, but you can’t ask for it. That’s why I’m having you not say anything.”

The magician performs the feat and turns the one into a five.

“Now see the reason why I can’t just stay home and do this is because I can hear my internal dialogue asking myself to turn the one into a five. Let me show you. “I want me to turn this five into a ten.”

The magician folds the bill up and it changes back into a one dollar bill.

“There, you see. Whenever someone asks or even when I ask myself to do it for myself it always backfires. So the key to this is when you see a magician, hand him a dollar bill and if you’re lucky, they’ll turn it into a five. But I have to warn you, most magicians will ask you, ‘what is this for?’ the problem is you can’t tell them or else the magic spell won’t work. But one more word of warning, if you hand a magician a one dollar bill and don’t say anything, most of the time they will just say ‘Thanks.’”

With that the magician places the one dollar bill in his pocket and walks away.


Always wishing the best,
Adam White

Ebook
www.adamwhitemagic.com

Chapter 3

Back in the days when Showmanship for Magicians was first published, there was no television, there were no rock bands with pyrotechnics, no summer blockbuster movies, no video games and no internet. During those times there was mainly radio, different varieties of live theater and motion pictures.

Though eras are different, the preferences of audiences truly have not changed that much over time. Audiences still prefer entertainment that includes conflict, character, and emotion.

Conflict, simply put, is a struggle. Some type of problem a person must overcome. The conflict can be between man vs. nature, man vs. circumstances, man vs. man, or man vs. himself.

It is much more interesting to watch a man trying to complete a task of accomplishment then it is to watch someone who has already succeeded. I think we see this everyday with celebrities. We are first happy for the fame these people get and then we buy the tabloid pictures or cruise the gossip websites trying to see how these people fall from grace.

Everyday people struggle. It may not be as elaborate as defending your home from aliens from another planet. Most people only have to struggle with the mundane tasks of paying bills, having to put up with their over confident boss, or driving through rush hour traffic. At the same time, all people can understand struggle, they can relate to it and watching someone struggle can make people actively think about the situation the character is going through, put themselves in the character’s shoes and fantasize what it would be like to be in the same situation.

This starts at a very early age, while some boys pin towels to their shirts pretending to fly, some little girls play the role of a princess in a Disney movie.

The conflict in a magic act doesn’t have to always be the classic sucker effect, of the magician faking to expose the trick, and then revealing the trick worked anyway.

Cardini’s act was nothing but conflict about a man who’s props seemed to come to life and pop up when they were not wanted.

Houdini’s famous for building conflict in his struggles to escape his binds.

I think the path most magicians take is the incorrect one and that is starting a conflict with the audience. When a magician brings out the “look how clever I am” attitude on stage or in their performance they put themselves on the other side of the playing field of most of the members of the audience. The show is nothing more than a challenge and a contest with the magician on one side struggling to keep the methods of his “amazing” feats a secret and the other side consisting of the audience attempting to figure the secrets out. I think most people would agree this situation, though amusing for a brief moment, is not a form of entertainment.

Here is a quote from one of my favorite movies, The Color of Money.

Eddie Felson: You're some piece of work... You're also a natural character.
Vincent Lauria: [to Carmen] You see? I been tellin' her that. I got natural character.
Eddie Felson: That's not what I said, kid. I said you *are* a natural character; you're an incredible flake.
[Vincent's smile fades; Eddie continues]
Eddie Felson: But that's a *gift*. Some guys spend half their lives trying to invent something like that. You walk into a pool room with that go-go-go, the guys'll be *killing* each other, trying to get to you. You got that... But I'll tell you something, kiddo. You couldn't find Big Time if you had a road map.

Having character is completely different than from being a character. Character is having charisma, being able to have people drawn to you. That can come from having a sense of humor, being charming, talented, and most important, humble. Being able to lead and guide others into different states of mind that you want them to go into. This could also be called rapport.

Some people are just characters. In the quote above, Eddie is telling Vincent that with his “go-go-go” he can get people to want to challenge him, want to beat him at his game. As a performer, you must know when the pep and excitement isn’t turning into that “go-go-go”, challenging attitude that turn a performance into nothing more than a battle of the wits.

Emotion is the way you can move an audience. The emotion doesn’t have to be a huge dramatic slap in the face or cheesy dramatic tear jerking. It can be as simple as making people laugh, smile, shock, be sympathetic, suspenseful. All of these can be done in a magic show successfully if thought out fully and performed well after following precise rehearsal.

If you watch television, movies, theater, music concerts and even some high quality productions on the internet you will see that the performances stress sex, common problems, sensations, complex situations and “escape” from the humdrum. You will also find comedy, nostalgia and sentiment.

Please also note a successful production is carefully rehearsed and routined, the material has been edited and selected. And at the end there should be a PUNCH! Details are considered; costume, make-up, lines and sets.

This attention to detail and knowing what people want can be incorporated to a magic show. Music, rhythm, staging. There is too much reliance on the mystery and the comedy. Costuming, grooming, make-up should be considered.
Most magic shows suffer from poor material, poor delivery, fumbling, lack of precision, slow tempo or having things be out of date.

Magic can’t be shaped to modern entertainment if public preferences are not catered to.

Always wishing the best,
Adam White

Ebook
www.adamwhitemagic.com